Relay circuit with a number of counting relays for recording a number of closures made by an impulse contact



Aug. 5, 1952 R. M. M. OBERMAN 2,606,236

RELAY CIRCUIT WITH A NUMBER OF COUNTING RELAYS FOR RECORDING A NUMBER OF CLOSURES MADE BY AN IMPULSE CONTACT Filed Aug. 6, 1947 INVENTOR.

ROELOF MAARTEH M IE OBERMAH Patented Aug. 5, 1952 OFFICE RELAY CIRCUIT WITH A NUMBER OF COUNTING RELAYS FOB RECORDING A NUMBER OF CLOSURES MADE BY AN IMPULSE CONTACT Itoelof M. M. Oberman, The Hague, Netherlands Application August 6, 1947, Serial No. 767,538

In the Netherlands December 9, 1943 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 194,6 latent expires December 9,1963

"The invention refers toa relay circuit with a number of counting relays for recording the number of closures made by an impulse contact inwhich all combinations of operating relays obtainable with these counting relays are successively made and in which an auxiliary relay is added to each counting relay.

ihe invention provides a circuit obtaining sucha result with a considerably reduced number of contacts and contacts springs to which end the provision on some auxiliary relays of an extra windings is sufiicient. In the invention the extra circuit for preventing an untimely operation 013 the auxiliary relay, which was necessary in the prior circuit for avoiding extra impulses, is absent; In the invention extra impulses are avoided by establishing, before the release of a counting relay, a circuit comprising an extra winding of the corresponding auxiliary relay in series with theimpulse circuit,'whereby this relay cannot release'before the interruption of the impulse circuit at the impulse contact, premature release of the relay on the interruption of the holding circuit of the group concerned consisting of counting and auxiliary relay being avoided. Such interruption of the impulse circuit at an auxiliary relay armature and the consequent undesired action are thereby prevented.

The inventionwillj be explained in detail with reference to the drawing in which Figslshowsan embodiment of a-binary system; and

Fig. 2 shows a diagram of the sequence of the operation of the relays. The circuit of Fig. 1 is designed for counting the-number of impulses received by a relay isr having an armature is'r; the circuit relays are operated in a certain combination when a certain number of impulses have been received. Four consecutive binary stages each including a pair of relays are shown, viz. A, B belonging to the first stage; C, D, belonging to the first intermediate stage; E, F, belonging to thesecond intermediate stage; and G, I-I belonging to the final stage; fifteen impulses as a maximum may be recorded because the number of combinations is equal to 2 :16 which number is diminished by one corresponding to the normal position in which none of the relays is operated.

A is termed hereinafter the first counting relay, C and E the first and second intermediate counting relays, respectively, and G the final counting relay. It is to be understood that the counting relays control contacts (not shown) in dependence on the combination of the operated relays indicating the number of closures of the 2 Claims. (01. 175-320) impulse contact isr. B, D, F and H are the corresponding auxiliary relays termed hereinafter the first, the first intermediate, the second intermediate, and the final auxiliary relays, respectively. The auxiliary relays B, D and F each have two windings denoted, respectively, by B1 and B2, D1 and 132, F1 and F2. The final auxiliary relay H has only a single winding. The first winding B1 of relay B is connected in series to the single winding of relay A whereas the second winding B; oi relay B is connected in parallel to the single winding of relay C, which in turn is connected in series to the first winding D1 of relay D. The second winding D2 of relay D is connected in parallel to the single winding of relay E which in turn is eonnec ted in series to the first winding F1 of relay F. lfhe second winding F2 of relay F is connected in parallel to the single winding of relay g which turn is connected in series with the single winding of the final auxiliary relay H. The relays control contacts indicated by corresponding small letters, respectively. Thus, contact a? is controlled by the first counting relay A, contact 12 by the first auxiliary relay B, etc. The contacts 11 d and f are switchover contacts, termed hereinafter, respectively, the first, first intermediate, and second intermediate switc-hrover contacts. All the contacts are shown in thedrawing in theirnormal position, i. e. with none of the relays energized. The contact al is normally open and connected in series to the first winding B1 of the first auxiliary relay B. The first switch-over contact b establishes in the normal position thereof a connection from the impulse contact is) to a first stationary cont eci eq edioth junct o o t e in l w ds 9 he fir t Quntin e ay A and the fi s W ndin B1 of the first auxiliary relay B, and in theoii-normal position of Contact bl to a second stationary contact connected to the second winding B2 of the first auxiliary relay B. The switch-overcontacts c 6 and g establish in the o f-n rm l res tiq thereof c n e tion res ectively, with the windings D1, F1 and H. In normalposition (shown in the drawin the switchover contacts c e and g establish a series connection to a grounded contact 11. The switchover contacts (2 and f are analogues to the switch over contact I In normal condition (shown in the drawing) the switchover contact d 15in Contact with a first intermediate stationary contact and connects the second winding 32 of the first auxiliary relay B with the junction of the single winding of the first intermediate counting relay C and the first winding mediate auxiliary relay D. The contact 11 is connected in parallel to the switch-over contact and is normally open. Similarly the' normally;

open contact J is connected in parallel to the switch-over contact 6 and the normally open contact h is connected in parallel to the switchover Contact 9 termed hereinafter the final r Thus, in the sixth impulse relays C, D, E and F switch-over contact. The impulse contactjsr is grounded. The counting relays A, C, ,E and G and the second windings B2, DzandFz of the auxiliary relays B, D, F, respectivelyg are con-'- nected to the negative terminal of a" battery Vs shown in the upper right hand corner of Fig."

1 the other terminal of which is grounded. The

contact 2; connecting the end ofthe circuit toground-is actuated by a relay V.

I-f armature isr moves against the contact at the receipt of thefirst impulse a circuit is established from ground, armature is'r, back contact b relay A to battery Vs. Relay A operates and prepares the following circuit for itself in series withauxiliary relay B: ground over back contacts v, 9 e and c front contact a winding B1 of relay B, relay A, battery Vs to ground. Relay A holds itself in this circuit when armature zsr moves back from its front contact so that relay B is operated in series with relay A at the end of the first impulse. I w h At the beginning of the second impulse relay C operates as'the impulse circuit is now switched through at front contact b Armature c moves overto the front contactthereof thus interrupting the holding circuit for relays A and Bover winding B1 and preparing a holding circuit for relays C and D over the first winding D1 of relay D which is energized in this circuit at the end of the 7 second impulse. .The prematureness of operation is avoided by the invention in which the auxiliary relays have two windings. The auxiliary relay B is provided with a second winding B which is energized across relay C so that the impulse circuit is held over these relays and an untimely operation of relays D and A is prevented. At

the end of the second impulse the impulse circuit is broken at the armature z'sr whereby'relay B releases and relaysC and D are operated in series. c

At the third impulse contacts a and b are in their normal position whereas contacts c ,d and d are in off-normal position Thus, relay A will be energized as explained above for the first impulse; when contact a has closed winding B1 will be energized and contact 12 will be switched over. The result is that relays A, B, C, D are all energized, and contacts a b 0 d and d are in off-normal position.

At the beginning of the fourth impulse contact isr is connected by oft-normal contacts b and d to windings D2 and E which are therefore energized. Thus, contact e switches over into ofinormal position and closes a holding circuit for relay E from battery to winding of relay E, winding F1, contact 6 normal contact g normal contact v to ground. At thesame time the holding circuits for relays A and C, in series with windings B1 and D1 of relays B and D, respectively, are interrupted at contact 6 so that relays A and C are de-energized at the beginning of the fourth impulse. The auxiliary relays B and D hold 4 themselves by means of their windings B2 and D2 via front contacts 21- and (1 until the impulse contact zsr has opened again. At this moment winding F1 of relay'F is energized infseries with relay E, relays B and D'being'de-energized. The result is that relays E and F are energized, contacts (l -d in their normal position, and contacts 61, f and f in off-normal position.

The fifth impulse is a repetition of the first one, except that relays E and F remain energized. Thus, relays A, B, E and F operate.

The sixth impulse is a repetition of the second one except that relays E and F remain energized.

oneexcept that relays E and F remain energized.

Thus, inthe seventh impulse relays A, B, C, D, E,

F, are energized and at the end of the impulse contacts ca -f are in oif normal position.

.At the beginning of the eighth impulse, relay G isenergiz'ed, and contacts; is switched over into offenormal position. By this the holding circuits for relays A-F1 is interrupted. When contact. zsr is in normal position (at the end of the impulse) only relays G and H are energized with contacts (IL -f and 21 in normal position, the other contacts being off-normal.

Now the cycle repeats itself with respect to relays A--E,'relays G and --H remaining energized. i'hat is, in the ninth impulse A, B, G and H are energized, in the tenth, C, D, G and H. At the eleventh impulse, the relays A, B, C, D, G and H are-energized, at the twelfth, relays E, F. G and H, At the thirteenth impulse relays A, B, E, F, G and H are energized, at the fourteenth impulse relays C, D, E, F, G and H, at the fifteenth impulse all relays A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H are energized. f

After the fifteenth impulse the final auxiliary relay H is short-circuited in a circuit containing the impulse contact isr, the switch-over contacts b d f in the off-normal position thereof, the switch-over contact" 9' also in the off-normal positionthereof and the contactv thereby applying ground potential to both ends of the single winding of the final auxiliary relay H. In consequence theretothe final auxiliary relay H is de-energized beforethe final counting relay G which is de-energized bythe last opening of the impulse contact isr. Thus it is seen that-the counting relays A, C, E, and G are energized in a binary relation according to the number of impulses given by the impulse contact isr.

While'I have illustrated and described what I regard to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, nevertheless it will be understood that such is merely exemplary and that numerous modifications and rearrangements may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention. v

I claim: I

1.-A' binary relay arrangement for counting successive electrical impulses, comprising in combination, a current source having a first terminal and-a second terminal; an impulse contact being temporarily closed by each successive impulse and connected to said second terminal of said current source; a plurality of consecutive binary stages each including a counting relay having a. single: winding connected with one terminal thereof: to said first terminal of said current source, and an auxiliary ,relay having a first winding connectedv in series to said single winding of said counting relay and a;second winding conhcted with one terminal thereof to said first terminal of said current source; a plurality of contacts controlled, respectively, by said counting relays and said auxiliary relays of said consecutive stages, said consecutive stages being interconnected by said contacts so as to energize said counting relays in a binary relation; a final stage including a final counting relay having a single winding connected with one end thereof to said first terminal of said current source, an a final auxiliary relay having a single winding connected in series to said single winding of said final counting relay, the junction of said single windings of said final counting relay and said final auxiliary relay being connected to the other end of said second winding of said auxiliary relay belonging to said stage preceding said final stage; a final switch-over contact controlled by said. final counting relay and having a normal position and an off-normal position, said final switch-over contact establishing in the normal position thereof a connection between said second terminal of said current source and said contact controlled by said counting relay belonging to said stage preceding said final stage, said final switchover contact establishing in the off-normal position thereof a connection between said second terminal of said current source and said single Winding of said final auxiliary relay; and a normally open contact controlled by said final auxiliary relay and establishing upon closure thereof a connection between said second terminal of said current source and said contact controlled by said counting relay belonging to said stage preceding said final stage, whereby said final auxiliary relay is short-circuited just before de-energization of said final counting relay in a circuit containing said impulse contact, said contacts controlled by said auxiliary relays of said consecutive stages, and said switch-over contact controlled by said final counting relay.

2. A binary relay arrangement for counting successive electrical impulses, comprising in combination, a current source having a first terminal and a second terminal; an impulse contact being temporarily closed by each successive impulse and connected to said second terminal of said current source; a plurality of consecutive binary stages each including a counting relay having a single winding connected with one terminal thereof to said first terminal of said current source, and an auxiliary relay having a first winding connected in series to said single winding of said counting relay and a second winding connected with one terminal thereof to said first terminal of said current source; a plurality of contacts controlled, respectively, by said counting relays and said auxiliary relays of said consecutive stages, said consecutive stages being interconnected by said contacts so as to energize said counting relays in a binary relation; a final stage including a final counting relay having a single winding connected with one end thereof to said. first terminal of said current source, and a final auxiliary relay having a single winding connected in series to said single winding of said final counting relay, the junction of said single windings of said final counting relay and said final auxiliary relay being connected to the other end of said second winding of said auxiliary relay belonging to said stage preceding said final stage; a final switch-over contact controlled by said final counting relay and having a normal position and an off -normal position, said final switch-over contact establishing in the normal position thereof a connection between said second terminal of said current source and said contact controlled by said counting relay belonging to said stage preceding said final stage, said final switchover contact establishing in the ofi-normal position thereof a connection between said second terminal and said current source and said single winding of said final auxiliary relay; a normally open contact controlled by said final auxiliary relay and establishing upon closure thereof a connection between said second terminal of said current source and said contact controlled by said counting relay belonging to said stage preceding said final stage; and a normally closed contact connecting said final switch-over contact controlled by said final counting relay and said normally open contact controlled by said final auxiliary relay to said second terminal of said current source, whereby said final auxiliary relay is short-circuited just before de-energization of said final counting relay in a circuit containing said impulse contact, said contacts controlled by said auxiliary relays of said consecutive stages, and said switch-over contact controlled by said final counting relay, all said contacts controlled by said counting and said auxiliary relays being restored to normal by opening said normally closed contacts connecting said final switch-over contact controlled by said final counting relay and said normally open contact controlled by said final auxiliary relay to said second terminal of said current source, thereby disconnecting all said counting and said auxiliary relays from said second terminal of said current source.

ROELOF M. M. OBERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,293,932 Cooper Aug. 25, 1942 2,382,140 Culbertson Aug. 14, 1945 2,389,275 Rayner Nov. 20, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 588,402 Great Britain May 21, 1947 

